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Punjab is heading towards a tri-partite elections in 2017. Badal Akali Dal is in alignment with Bhartya Janata Party. This time it seems that BJP will have a bigger cake; they have won a victory in Haryana, and it tells them to have at least 15 seats in Malwa on the strength of Gurmit Ram Rahim’s group which earlier had supported Congress. RSS’s involvement compliments the matter. That is one reason that neither the Punjab police (headed by such a pate khan like Sumed Singh Saini or the Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal, nor the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) dared to untie the knott. BJP is playing a shady game, in the hope of gaining a plurality of votes. Badal is certainly going to lose the Sikh votes.
It is obvious Congress will be on the loser side, at least in face of seats termed to be in the pocket of Gurmit Ram Rahim. Manpreet Badal cannot fill the gap. Then there is filling by the leftists and the Bahujan Samaj Party. Will they be able to fill the gap for the mahan-alliance to skip through? It will be a hazarduous guess.
Here comes the AAP (Aam Aadmi Party). It is an upcoming party. It is not Delhi AAP, citizens AAP, dwellers AAP, residents AAP, led by the convenor Sucha Singh Chhotepur under the command of Arvind Kejriwal. The AAP is coming up rapidly in Punjab, though ruling Badal Dal is very upset; so is the position of Punjab Congress led by Amarinder Singh. Kejriwal presents a clean image. He has touched the nerves of Punjab’s multiple problems, viz. drug mafia ( putting his nerves on Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majitha being hands in gloves with the drug mafia), farm crisis (farmers committing suicides), desecration of Guru Granth Sahib - a major issue facing the masses with no one in authority to go into the truth of the matter), - reaching out to Industrialists in Punjab (working in an environment of rampant extortion and corruption), delay in the disbursement of the subsidies, incentives and VAT (refund to genuine entrepreneurs), Businessmen (who are subjected to goonda tax which he plans to put to end in 24 hours after coming into power), promisies 25 lakhs jobs, Wi-Fi to school children extending support to Dalits. The Badal government deliberately kept lakhs of jobs vacant for many years; this crippled working of several essential services. CBI was not really cooperating in anti Sikh pogrom, called riots; Kejriwal sanctioned 769 teachers in Punjabi language, and 610 in Urdu this year in Delhi.
At the end of Doaba tour, Kejriwal met some NRIs – Representatives of Indo-Canadian NRI Society in Phagwara’s Chehru village. He had talks with former Minister Herb Dhaliwal, Dr. G.S.Gill and assured them of hearty cooperation. He lashed out at Badal leaders, and said he has developed more knowledge about Punjab than them. He would make Punjab once again a flourishing state and the best investment distribution in the country.
Avtar Singh Makkar, President SGPC instantly launched a case in the Court of Ludhiana against Ashish Khetan, Party Spokeman and Kanwar Sandhi,{1} Punjab Dialogue Chief on July 7, 2016, following showing disrespect to Guru Granth Sahib and hurting Sikh sentiments. Sandhu was the principal actor and well aware of Sikhs sentiments. Khetan, Sandhu and HS Phulka, a senior AAP leader offer sewa in langar on July 10. Subsequently, AAP Chief, Kejriwal with support of battery of his workers, serviced at langar., on July 18, 2016, though Captain Amarinder Singh said that Kejriwal was not involved, as against Kanwar Sandhu who was granted interim bail on July 18 by Additional Session Judge, Ludhiana.
I have mentioned of Kanwar Sandhu being a part and parcel of Major Gen. K.S. Brar. It would be better to keep him away from AAP.
Parkash Singh Badal who is past master in one after another series of fellonies committed in front of Akal Takht says that the sin of Arvind Kejriwal cannot be wiped out, whereas it is obvious that Arvind Kejriwal is not involved in it at all. It was the opening up for Kanwar Sandhu. Kejriwal performed sewa at Darbar Sahib. Prakash Singh Badal does not need a sewa at Darbar Sahib because he is a chronic sinner. Badal has now become desperate.
On July 18, concide with Arvind Kejriwal sewa at Darbar Sahib, Navjot Singh Sidhu, threw a sixer to shook out the Punjab’s stratosphere. Introduction of Navjot Singh Sidhu caused a vibration which was to shake up Badal and also Amarinder Singh, and possibly enervate AAP.
Bhagwant Singh Maan has been bamboozled by BJP, Akali Dal and Congress at compromising ‘security’ at Parliament House. In this age of “Google Map”, when anyone can buy sattellite images of any building, this issue of security at Parliament House is meaningless. They must be sensible.
All the three established parties find themselves rattled because of the kind of power to pull or motivate power, the AAP is getting in the rural Punjab. This is a new phenomena.
The manner in which Central Government is using Delhi Police and other agencies to harm and harass the AAP MLAs in Delhi. This should be a matter of concern for all democratic voices. Witch-hunting must stop. But is Modi sensible?
The case against drugs smuggling was entrusted to Niranjan Singh who was earnestly looking into it; he had reached almost near about the smugglers end, but the authorities wanted to transfer him from the project. High Court put a break and wanted Niranjan Singh to continue against the smugglers. Somehow, he was pushed out of the project as it was not unsuitable to Badal. Earlier, Rajnath Singh, Home Minister, had spoken of drug smugglers in Punjab, and in that case too Badal intervened. This shows Badal had close connections with someone seriously involved. Somehow, BJP and RSS decided to make up with Badal, as against their fighting forthcoming elections in Punjab single handedly. So they chose to not to look into Punjab Drug situation.
People close to Niranjan Singh and others knew about drug smuggling and large people knew about the twist. Now Kejriwal and his collaborators like Sanjay Singh, Ashok Khetan, talk of drug smuggling. He must be talking squarely about the people. Bikram Singh Majithia who has no option but to go to Court in Amritsar when they chose to use Punjab Police instead of Court Server to issues summons. They can bamboozle an ordinary individual, but Kejriwal and Co. are different people. Majithia knows that Ram Rahim is facing a court case on number of killings, murders, rapes for years, and such cases are prolonged. Who knows Niranjan Singh, who is a man of character, on retirement may make a disclosure about the smugglers. Kejriwal has got bail on July 29, 2016. Bikram Singh Majithia has six months for power. Significantly, on July 30, when Naresh Yadav was hauled up in ficitious case but the Sub Division Magistrate at Malerkotla did not bail him out. Straightaway, Session Judge granted him bail, saying he is innocent till proved otherwise. The point is, that the Courts are vigilant about the people. Majithia has a host of people around him but once he is out of power, how many will look after him? The fact is that drug has eaten up at least one youth in each rural family. Noose of justice waits, sooner or later.
Now this brings up to Rozanna Spokesman editorial of July 29, 2016. Nimrat Kaur has extended what she has written. I can only say she is immature, is not fit for either Editor’s job or running up a TV Channel. She is the only daughter of S. Joginder Singh. He needs her to be seconded to someone who may be heading the TV Channel in due course. That was the strong point for Majithia also.
Sucha Singh Chhotepur has done a wonderful job despite keeping a low profile. AAP had at one time thought over Navjot Singh Sidhu but found him unsuitable. Sidhu had similarity in make up as was that of Badal, that they had serious differences on their work plan.
Sidhu was now thinking of jettisoning BJP who did not wish his presence in Punjab If BJP had decided to go it alone in Punjab, that would have suited Sidhu, but for tactical reasons it has decided to go along with Shiromani Akali Dal. There could be a conflict over seats; BJP would obviously like to act as a major actor.
It has not been positively said that Sidhu has broken up from BJP. On the other hand, clear singnals are available of Sidhu’s availability for BJP. His wife continues her wires with BJP. Sidhu’s dithering even after independence day, August 15, was enigmatic. Two days later, the cat came out of the bag. In a despatch by Kanchan Vasudev (Indian Express, August 18, 2016), tells us that Sidhu not only wanted both of them, himself and his wife, also an overall command with his taking over prospective Chief Minister. Mind it, he is still a member of BJP, and would also like to take over AAP. This would make Sidhu to duplicate RSS or Rashtriya Singh Sangat: whether he formally quit BJP or not, will be meaningless. What is wrong with AAP and Arvind Kejriwal?
The same day, BJP government led by Narendra Modi announced without consulting Parkash Singh Badal, VP Singh Badnore, a RSS ideologue, from Rajasthan (with whom they have serious differences over Water issues) as Governor of Punjab, and simultaneously announced a separate Administrator of Chandigarh. This only shows what does BJP/RSS think of this stupid man Badal? He kept quiet on appointment of the Rajasthani person as Governor, but approached Prime Minister and Home Minister that any plan for a Chandigarh administrator would deal his party a death blow at Assembly polls. Both Congress and AAP blamed the `instantly unjust move’ that was aimed at `snatching’ Chandigarh away from Punjab. BJP thought that Badal is already on the way out - this way or that.
The oddeity of BJP and Shiroman Akali Dal, or Congress’s doggedness presents an opportunity to AAP. Arvind Kejriwal has be potentiality to emerge as the celebrity. His popularity outstripped that of his party. In the words of Saba Naqvi (Tributne, August 18, 2016). A C Voter Huggington post in the course of 2016 showed a curious disconnect in the fact that it indicates that AAP seems likely to win nearly 100 seats of the 117. Navjot Singh ‘s popularity has not crossed 16 per cent. The popularity of Kejriwal has risen from 51 to 59 percent, against that of Amrinder Singh’s has risen from 26 to 37 per cent. Parkash Singh Badal figures very low. The popularity of Navjot Singh Sidhu has not crossed despite his somersaults. The worst part of it is that Sidhu meanwhile, is inserting his people as AAP Candidates. The AAP has already started nominating Candidates which will be difficult to drop them at once, Sidhu makes an about turn. The names of such candidates need to be kept in abeyance. Mind it, Sidhu continues to be a member of BJP, both the husband and wife. They have a gameplan, and AAP should not fall into it. Also, they need not, as was done at the instance of Kanwar Sandhu, fall the trap of religion.
One hopes, 2017 spells a new vistas for Punjab in the form of an AAP Government with an opening up of all sections of society in an equilibrium, including the so-called downward classes, in various spheres of life.
August 22, 2016